Pieces
by Julian McQueen
Summary: When Peanut gets raped, it's up to Grape to help put back together her friend's shattered life.    Warning!  THIS STORY CONTAINS CHARACTER RAPE!    If this offends you, then don't read it.
1. How Can You Lose?

"Today feels like a good day!"

Peanut smiled as he acquired another perfect score on another video game. He had spent the last few weeks preparing to beat Joey at "Ultra Negima Zetta Fighter 2", and the all the late nights of caffeine and playing until three in the morning finally paid off. The hound grinned and arose from the beanbag chair he was sitting on and stretched, ready to prove his gaming skills.

But before the master gamer could defeat the worthless n00bs who challenged him, he would need to stock up on energy drinks. Peanut sighed, he remember that ever since the Milton ferrets visited the cul-de-sac, energy drinks weren't allowed in the house. And since Grape wasn't around, he couldn't ask her for money. The hound paced and paced until he concluded that Joey probably had drinks already stashed at his house, so Peanut decided to leave a note before walking out the front door.

Peanut walked at a slightly hurried pace. Looking up, he noticed that the sky was turning grey. "Hm, it's gonna rain soon. I hope Joey doesn't cancel…" He was about two houses down from Joey's house when he noticed a relatively young male human with long, wavy, black hair unloading boxes from a dark-red van. The man looked over his shoulder and formed a warm smile. "Hey there.?" He said. "Would there be a chance you could give me a hand? I'll pay you."

Peanut hesitated. He knew Mom and Dad told him several times not to talk to strangers, but he then thought over the fact that he could make a few bucks before clobbering Joey at his favorite game. "Sure!" the dog replied cheerfully, ignoring the raindrop that landed on his shoulder.

"Thanks." The man replied. Peanut approached the man and helped him unload more boxes from the van. As they unloaded the boxes, Peanut explained to the man about Joey and how he would make him cry like a sissy once he showed his skills. "I bet that'll teach him a lesson." The man said with a laugh. Peanut laughed along with him, his tail wagging rapidly. "Well." The man said, rubbing his neck." Would you like to have a drink in my van?" He asked.

Peanut froze again, his tail stopped wagging. Something felt very wrong. He suddenly felt very nervous, and shook his head. "Um. N-No thank you…" He said. The man smirked and began to approach him. "Really? After all that work you don't want a nice, refreshing drink?" The way he said those last three words chilled Peanut's spine. His body shivered and he began to back away from the advancing man. He stopped when he felt his body hit the cold metal of the van. "Not really. I-I have to see my friend. He'll wonder why I'm late and-"

Peanut stopped as the man slammed his hand on the side of the van, inches away from Peanut's head. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind." He said, his other hand cupping Peanut's muzzle. Peanut's eyes darted in all directions. In his mind, he begged to god that someone saw what was going on. That someone would walk up and go, "Hey whaddya thing you're doing?" But no one was outside, no dogs, no people, nobody. Just Peanut, and the man.

The man needed little effort to shove Peanut into the back of the van, despite the canine's struggles. He instantly removed Peanut's collar and used it to bind his hands. It wasn't even a second before he pressed his mouth to Peanut's muzzle, forcefully kissing him. "Don't try anything." He whispered with a slight laugh. "You can't escape."

He drove a hand downward and began touching his groin. Peanut began to feel sick, he did not want this to happen to him. "P-Please stop…" He muttered. The man merely smirked and continued to molest the pitiful dog. When Peanut was finally erect, the man took a moment to admire it. "Huh, 7-inches. Very nice." He then pulled down his pants and reveled his erection. "So, are you ready to get on your knees?" He asked.

Peanut constantly gave out muffled screams of protest as his muzzle was wrapped around the man's member. The man forced Peanut's head to bob up and down on the man's rod. "Say what you want." The man said. "Your screams only bring me closer to climax."

The man began breathing hard as his hand gripped Peanut's head, pushing him faster and faster. Peanut did his best to divert his mind from this, but the man constantly shattered his diversions. Suddenly, the man began gasping, and Peanut's head was stopped. The man suddenly began pushing his hips unto Peanut, basically fucking him in the mouth.

Peanut continued to protest. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he tried to push the man away as hard as he could, but with no avail. "Uh." The man groaned. "You ready? Hear it comes…"

Peanut's eyes widened as he felt the man's hot seed enter Peanut's muzzle. He gagged as the horrid fluid entered is throat. "Swallow." The man commanded. Peanut gagged for a few moments before swallowing. The man pulled out of Peanut's mouth, a strand of semen being the only connection between the two before disappearing. "Huh." He chuckled. "You're pretty obedient. Figures, since you're a dog…"

Peanut whimpered, wiping his mouth with his arm. "P-please, I'm begging you, let me go home!"

The man sighed and made a hideous grin. "Okay, now I'm getting bored with this. Get on your knees."

Peanut protested, but it only led to the man forcefully slamming his head unto the floor of the van. He didn't even give Peanut a second before pushing himself under the canine's tailhole.

Peanut's mind exploded. He screamed as loud as he could to the point of screeching. He kicked and kicked, but nothing seemed to work. He almost dislocated his shoulders trying to pull his collar off his arms. But he soon realized all he couldn't do anything until the man was finished.

"PLEASE! IT HURT'S! I WANNA GO HOME!" He began sobbing loudly and continued to struggle against the man who was above him, pushing himself deeper inside of Peanut. Peanut cried and cried, he never felt so much pain, humiliation, and fear in his life. And all he could do was take it.

It wasn't long before the man was finished, shooting seed into his tailhole, inside him. At that moment, Peanut stopped crying. He stopped struggling altogether and simply laid there, his mind shattered into pieces, his innocence lost. He didn't feel the man pushing him out the van. He didn't hear him drive off. He didn't feel the cool rain falling above him or the warm asphalt below him.

He didn't feel anything.

"Yes." He muttered quietly to himself. "Today felt like a good day…"

His mind drifted to blackness as he heard his name called out to him.

"PEANUT!"


	2. I Don't Believe Any Of It

Max grinned as Grape kissed him on the cheek as they left the movies. "Thanks for the night." She whispered through a giggle. Max beamed with pride. "No problem, G." He said. "I'll always be glad to take you wherever you want." Grape laughed and kissed him again, before shoving him into some nearby bushes.

It was evening as Grape and Max approached Peanut's house, which to Grape's surprise had a police car in the parking lot. Grape twitched an ear in confusion as she examined the scene. "I wondered what happened…" She said quietly. Max grinned. "Maybe Peanut got his head stuck in a drain pipe." He laughed at his own joke, but stopped instantly when Grape shot a annoyed look a him. "Sorry." The couple noticed Fido leave the house. He sighed and shook his head, before noticing Grape and Max. A pang of worry hit his stomach.

He approached Grape, who in an instant realized something was wrong. "Fido?" She whispered. Fido rubbed the back of his head and sighed, trying his best to avoid eye contact.. "It's Peanut, something's happened to him…" Grape's ears flattened. "What? Did he get hit by a car." Fido shook his head. "Um… Not really." He took a look from Grape to Max, to Grape again. "I-I think you should come inside, this is a bit personal..." Grape's eyes narrowed. "Why? Surely you can talk to me about this in front of my boyfriend." Fido turned his back towards the two cats.

"No, I **can't**…"

Grape's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise of the seriousness in Fido's voice. She said goodbye to Max and followed Fido back to the house.

Inside the house, Mr. Sandwich was busy talking with a police officer. He turned his head the moment he saw Grape and sighed in relief. He approached the purple cat and hugged her. "D-Dad?" Grape whispered in worry. "Is Peanut okay?" Mr. Sandwich let go of Grape and put his hands on her shoulders, his eyes glistening. "No, he not." He said.

Meanwhile upstairs, Mrs. Sandwich was in the bathroom with Peanut. She just gave him a bath and was now drying him off with a towel. Ever since she found him lying on the street, Peanut was crying nonstop. "Shhhh." Mrs. Sandwich whispered in a soothing tone. Peanut buried his face in her shirt and continued to sob. "You're alright. Mom's here. You're alright."

Grape sat on the couch with Fido, watching the police officer finish asking Mr. Sandwich a set of questions.

"And what was the time you found the victim?"

"Um… About 12:40, 12:45 PM."

"Uh-huh. Did the victim say anything about the criminal? Like a description?"

"No, he hasn't said anything since we found him?"

"I see. Has there been any report of suspicious activity before?"

"No, not that I know of…"

"Any missing possessions?"

"Y-Yes, the tag of his collar is missing?"

"Collar?"

"Yes, the one the criminal used to…to…"

"I understand. Okay, if you manage to get any more information about what happened, please contact the investigation department at this number." The police officer handed Mr. Sandwich a card. "Alright, see you later then." He looked at Fido. "Come on Fido." Fido patted Grape on the shoulder. "Don't worry, everything'll work out, you'll see." He gave Grape a warm, tired smile before getting off the couch and leaving with the police officer.

Grape and Mr. Sandwich stood in the living for what seemed like an eternity before Mr. Sandwich spoke. "Alright Grape, time to get to bed." He kissed her on the fore head as she left for her bedroom.

As she lied in her bed, she couldn't help but hear Mr. Sandwich talk with his wife.

"Did you put him to bed?"

"Yes, he asleep now."

"Poor guy, going through all that…" He sighed

"Earl, what are we supposed to do?"

Mr. Sandwich paused for a moment. "Well, we could always move…"

"**EARL!**"

"I know, I know. It's not like we could move anyways, with the economy all…"

"What if he comes back?"

"I don't know. I don't think he'll come back here now that the police are snooping around."

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"Earl, who would honestly do that to a dog. I mean, I've heard storied about that happening to kids, but not…" Her voice trailed off.

"I know, the sick bastard."

"…"

"…"

"I wonder how Grape feels."

"She probably feels worried about Peanut."

True, Grape sat up and hugged her knees. Just the thought of Peanut getting violated got her sick. A tear fell down her cheek.

"In honesty, I'm more worried about how Peanut's gonna act…"

"Yeah. I could see how people could get over it. But a dog."

"The poor guy's probably messed up in the head."

Grape heard a sniffle come from Mrs. Sandwich.

"Oh Earl, what are we going to do?"

"Hey, don't worry. We'll get through this. It'll all work out. You'll see."

Grape remembered Fido saying the same thing and lied down again.

"It'll all work out, eh? I hope so…"


	3. And You Look Half Dead At The Time

The annoying glare of the sunlight greeted Grape as she awoke the next morning. She quickly rose out of bed and approached the door to find a note taped to it:

"Dear Grape,

Dad and I are a work today, so I expect you to keep things clean and neat while we're gone.

Peanut should be still asleep when you're reading this. If he wakes up, please help him with whatever he needs help with and treat him nicely.

Love Mom."

Grape quickly pulled the note off the door and crumpled it into a ball before throwing it into the trash. She sighed and began to approach the stairs, but stopped to glance at Peanut's room. Slowly, she peeked her head inside to see Peanut fast asleep, making a faint, somewhat relieved smile. He looked rather peaceful in his sleep; one would never suspect what happened to him. the dog turned his back towards Grape and made a yawn.

Grape sat down at the table and poured a glass of orange juice she grabbed from the refrigerator. She didn't feel like eating this morning, and it was clearly obvious why. "If I didn't go with Max to that movie…" Grape thought. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. How was she supposed to know that Peanut was going to be raped?

It wasn't long before Grape heard the sound of footsteps slowing walking down the stairs. She watched as Peanut entered the kitchen, and suddenly felt depressed. Peanut looked like hell. His ears were drooped completely. His eyes were vacant and blank. His posture slumped over. He stood in the kitchen for a few moments before returning back upstairs. Grape felt as if her heart was bound by barbed wire, her eyes welled with tears.

As the weeks passed, Peanut began to fall deeper and deeper into a large depression.

Eventually, he began to move around and talk. He even began acting like his usual self. But if one would look into his eyes, they would see that he was simply trying to hide how he truly felt under a emotional mask.

Despite the "positive attitude", Peanut rarely ate or slept. If someone touched him, he would flinch and tense up. At night he would get horrible nightmares and end up getting terribly sick, and vomited constantly. Eventually, he decided to avoid sleeping to get rid of the nightmares. Now, if this was a person, on would probably say that such acts were exaggerated or ridiculous. But Peanut was no person. He was a dog. A simple, weak, pathetic dog, and what happened to him ended up leaving him, "broken".

Grape stood against the fence outside her house and sighed. She knew that if Peanut continued to act this way, he would surely die. She looked over to see Peanut leaving the house. His fur was matted and worn. His body was so thin that his ribs stuck out. There were dark bags under his eyes, which were darting all over the place. Peanut did this every time he left the house. If the hound saw any vans on the street, he would run back into the house for the rest of the day.

As Grape watched Peanut look cautiously around the street, she couldn't help but feel a great sadness as she saw her friend's pathetic appearance.

Once Peanut saw that there were no vans in the street, he ran quickly over to the clubhouse where the other dogs hung out. Grape sighed and rubbed her eyes a Max walked up next to her.

"Hey Grape."

"Hey Max."

They kissed.

Max didn't even try to avoid what was on Grape's mind. "How's Peanut?"

Grape sighed and flattened her ears. "I don't know, Maxie. He's keeps getting worse and worse. I saw him today and…" Wiped her eyes. "I kept thinking that if I didn't go see that movie, that he'd be okay. That none of this wouldn't have happened."

Max smiled and brought Grape close to him. "Hey, he'll be okay, you'll see. You can't change the past, but you can be there for him and change his future."

Grape raised and eyebrow, a smile forming on her face. "Did you go for Chinese last night?"

Max grinned. "Yep. Fortune cookies are pretty convient."

They both laughed and kissed momentarily before they heard a large scream come from the clubhouse. Grape immediately recognized it as Peanut, and ran for the clubhouse, dragging Max along with.

When Grape and Max entered the clubhouse. They saw Peanut curled up into a ball on the floor, sobbing, as Bino stood over him. A crowd of dogs surrounded the two of them. "Ha! C'mon, get up you loser!" He grabbed a piece of paper from a nearby podium, crumpled it up, and threw it at the whimpering figure. Peanut let out a small cry and curled up tighter. Grape flew through the crowd and stood between Peanut and Bino, letting out a large hiss.

"Hey, you can't come here. No cat's allowed.

"I DON'T CARE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"I was simply yelling at Peanut for disrespecting our club's rules and he freaked out on me."

Fox sighed. "More like you yelled and shook him."

Bino looked over to see King and Fox standing in the crowd. There was a look of scorn on Fox's face.

Bino growled. "Who invited you homos here? I thought I kicked you both out of the club.

Fox cracked his knuckles. "No you didn't. I kicked your ass and left." He approached Bino. "And I won't mind doing it again."

Bino shoved Fox away. "Back off, Fag! This is between me and Peanut.

Grape grabbed Bino by his collar. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HE'S BEEN THROUGH?

"Yep. I heard my dad talk about it to Fido and the other police dogs. And frankly, I think Peanut needs to get over it."

Grape punched him in the muzzle.

Bino got up and scowled, wiping a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Get out of here, and take 'Sergeant Homo' and his butt buddy with you."

Grape helped Peanut up as Max approached Bino. "I'm telling dad." He said. He left along with King, Fox, and the others.

The five of the walked down the street. Peanut was shivering and his eyes were shut tightly as Grape did her best to comfort him.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry."

"No Peanut, it's not your fault, Bino-"

"B-but it is…It all is…"

"Peanut…"


	4. Monitoring You, Like Machines Do

Grape moved quietly as she left Peanut's room. As she closed the door, she turned to the others with a heavy sigh.

"Is he all right?" Fox asked.

Grape looked down to her feet and her ears folded back, her purple body leaning against the door. "Yeah, he's asleep now." She slid down to the floor and hugged her knees. "Oh god, what am I going to do? I can't leave him like this, he'll BREAK!"

The group stood awkwardly for a few moments before King decided to speak up. "Um… C-Couldn't you send him to a counselor or a shrink or something?" He suggested.

Fox looked down at the corgi. "Good idea hon. But I don't think there is anybody in the area who's a "pet psychologist".

Maxwell looked away in confusion, quietly mouthing the word, "hon?"

King suddenly lit up and snapped his fingers, a confident smile formed across his face. "AH! Wait, I think there is somebody we can talk to about Peanut…"

A few days later, a visitor arrived in Babylon Gardens. He was a human with long blonde hair and fair skin. He wore a navy blue shirt with a rather large blue bow on it and he wore what seemed to be a lab coat over that, along with a set of black slacks. He also wore a pair of black glasses over his face. One would assume that he was plucked from another time or place and dropped here.

Alongside him was a border collie who wore a purple collar with a rather odd dog tag on it. The tag appeared to be the alchemic symbol for Platinum.

Grape stood outside her house alongside King and Taro, as the two newcomers approached them.

"Are you sure about this guy?" King whispered quietly to Tarot.

Tarot nodded. "Yes, he has magical powers like, but prefers to change worlds instead of running them."

"Is he stronger than you?"

"Yes, his power greatly surpasses mine. But we are good friends, and his power is limited in worlds like this."

"Great. And the dog?"

"Most likely a servant created to help in this situation."

"Wonderful…"

The man approached Tarot and gave her a hug, laughing, before turning to Grape. His crimson eyes seemed powerful, like a raging fire. "Hallo." He spoke in a slightly British accent. "You are the one with the hurt doggy, correct?"

Grape felt agitated at how insensitive the man sounded, but decided to give him a polite nod. The man shook her paw lightly. "Ah, then well meeting you." He said. "I am "S. Digredior", a licensed pet therapist, and this is my companion, "Dreizehn", he is a therapy dog."

Dreizehn gave a polite bow, but Grape couldn't read anything from his hollow orange eyes.

Digredior pointed to the door with great vigor. "Now, it's time to get to work! TO THE PATIENT!"

Grape led Digredior and Dreizehn into the house, where the eccentric man gave Mr. and Mrs. Sandwich the same introduction word for word, before sitting down on the family couch.

"So tell me?" Digredior asked. "What happened to the poor doggy?"

Mr. Sandwich sighed before he responded. "Our dog, 'Peanut', was raped."

"Aye, sorry. So how has… 'Peanut' been acting ever since?"

Mrs. Sandwich scratched the back of her head. "Well, he been quiet ever since, only speaking when needed to. He's been losing sleep, he's lost weight dramatically, almost ten pounds…" He paused to wipe her eyes before continuing. "He's stopped drawing, he rarely smiles anymore. The list just goes on, and on."

Digredior scribbled something into a red notepad that "mysteriously" appeared in his hand with a pen that he pulled out of his pocket. "I see." He said quietly. The man handed the notepad to Dreizehn, who placed it in his collar. "May I see the doggy now?"

Peanut awoke to the sound of the door opening and slowly turned to see a man with long hair approaching him. The dog immediately jumped out of the bed and stood upright, his chest heaving, his eyes widened with shock.

Grape and the Sandwiches suddenly walked into the room and began to console the frightened dog, who merely cowered pathetically in the arms of Mrs. Sandwich. Digredior said nothing simply stood there. He observed Peanut carefully, while taking mental notes of any signs that might prove useful in the future.

_Matted and filthy fur – Trauma has caused the victim to lose interest in personal hygiene. This might lead to sudden illness or death if not fixed._

_Dark bags around eyes – Subject is neglecting sleep, most likely because the traumatic events are still imbedded in the victim's subconscious. Hence, the victim suffers from nightmares and night terrors. May prove problematic in the future if not treated soon._

_Visible ribcage and thin frame – Victim suffers from extreme malnutrition due to trauma. This WILL be fatal unless treated immediately._

_Reactive mentality – Victim appeared to be highly alert when he was aware of my presence. Perhaps I remind him of the criminal. I will look into this._

_Slight scars on wrists, arms and legs – Possible attempted suicide due to trauma? I will have to investigate, as the victim's mortality might be compromised._

_Possibility of victim suicide based on acquired data – 65%_

_Current victim mortality status based on acquired data – __**CRITICAL!**_

_Current course of action – One-hour therapy session twice a week, until I can get a conclusion on victim's current mentality. I will take the necessary precautions if they are needed, even if advanced medication, institutionalization, and euthanasia are offered._

Digredior turned to Mr. and Mrs. Sandwich. "We would like to speak with him alone, please."

Mr. and Mrs. Sandwich took Grape and headed downstairs.

A half-hour later, Digredior came down to the living room.

"Where's 'Dregen'" Grape asked.

Digredior nodded. "Ah, 'Dreizehn' will be down in a minute, he just wanted to say a few words with Peanut privately. Dog to dog, if you know what I mean..."

And just like that, Dreizehn walked down the stairs and up to his master.

"I've said what was needed to be said." Dreizehn spoke in a monotone manner, which annoyed Grape. "Hopefully, what I said will have some impact on him..."

Digredior and Dreizehn politely bowed as they prepared to leave the door. "I will be seeing the doggy two times a week until I can get a conformation on the status his mentality, correct?"

Mr. and Mrs. Sandwich nodded in agreement and shook his hand. "Until next time, _Servus_." Digredior said as he walked out the door with Dreizehn following behind.

Grape looked out the upstairs window as the eccentric man and his dog walked into the cul-de-sac and out of Grape's line of sight. She sighed and walked towards Peanut's room.

"Hey Peanut, are you still upset?" He wasn't there. Grape looked around the room before heading to the bathroom that Grape and Peanut shared. The door was closed, and locked.

"Peanut, don't get scared. That man only wants to help. Don't feel frightened."

There was no response other than a sniff.

"Peanut?" Grape called out to her canine friend as she knocked on the door.

"G-Grape?" A quiet sad voice called out from behind the door.

"Yeah, Peanut?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't take it anymore. Everywhere I look, I see HIM. I can't bear it any longer…" The voice spoke, followed by another sniffle.

"Peanut." Grape said, her stomach suddenly felt uneasy. She eyed at the doorknob. "What are you saying?

She heard Mr. Sandwich's voice from downstairs.

"Honey, have you seen my shaving razor?"

Suddenly a bell seemed to go off in Grape's head as her paw suddenly reached over and tried to turn the knob, and she instantly knew why. It refused, so Grape began picking at the lock furiously with claws.

"PEANUT, OPEN THIS DOOR, NOW!"

"I'm sorry, Grape…"

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME PEANUT! OPEN THE DOOR NOW!"

"I love you. Goodbye."

Grape finally managed to pick the lock and open the door fast enough to watch in horror as Peanut slid the shaving razor quickly over his wrist, which was instantly dyed deep crimson.

"PEANUT!"


	5. Throw A Stranger An Unexpected Smile

"And you're saying that he did it right as I left?"

Grape nodded as she, Digredior, Mr. and Mrs. Sandwich sat along in the waiting room of the Babylon Garden's veterinary service.

"Did he say anything?" Digredior asked.

"H-He said that all he could see was 'him'…"

"Him?"

"You know, the guy who…"

It had only been a few minutes since the Sandwich family arrived with Peanut. Digredior arrived minutes afterward. However, Dreizhen was nowhere to be seen.

"He requested to stay home." The eccentric man explained earlier. "He accidently ate my prize-winning Black Forest cake and got terribly sick. So he's staying home."

Grape sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye. "I knew he was depressed and all, but I never thought…" The reminder of his sentence was interrupted by a wave of sobs as Grape knelt to the ground and broke down. Digredior knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. What was he supposed to do?

Just then, a nurse came in. Grape instantly stood up and ran to the nurse clutching her leg.

"Is-Is Peanut…?" She stuttered, desperately clinging unto the nurses leg.

The nurse looked down on the purple cat and smiled. "You made it just in time." She said, watching the signs of relief spread on Grape's face. She then looked and the Sandwiches and Digredior, her smile gone.

"However, he's in a very critical situation at the moment, so Dr. Kazuma requested that he'd stay for the night." She looked back down to Grape, her smile returning instantly. "You can visit him if you'd like."

As Grape approached the medical bed, she looked in great sadness at Peanut's body. In the sunlight, you could perfectly see how matted and worn his fur was, how he was so thin that you could see his ribs, how the fur on arms and torso were discolored from the dry blood. He looked like a horrific mess.

Digredior walked up next to Grape, his eyes tracing over the weakened dog's body yet again:

_NEW DATA ENTRY: Victim has ATTEMPTED SUICIDE! Analyzing data based on new entry:_

_Possibility of [SUCCESSFUL] suicide based on acquired data – 85%_

_Current victim mortality status based on acquired data – **DANGER! IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!**___

_Victim's current mentality based on acquired data: Post traumatic stress disorder, along with hallucinations and delusions that the p__erpetrator is "everywhere". This drove the victim to attempted suicide._

_**Recommended**__ course of action: __The victim has minimal chances of recovery, so the best option is Euthanasia. _

_**Current**__ course of action – One-hour therapy session a day until noticeable changes are applied. If not, then I will follow the recommended course of action._

Digredior sighed before walking over to a nearby chair and sitting in it. He then looked at Grape.

"Wake him."

Grape blinked.

"I said, wake him."

Grape stood there, confused.

"I need to talk to him."

Grape stared at Digredior for a few minutes before lightly poking at Peanut's shoulder, causing his eyes to snap open. He lifted himself upward to see Grape and Digredior looking at him. He tilted his head. "Wha-" was all he managed to say before being hugged by what felt like five million arms, but what was really Grape, Mr. and Mrs. Sandwich.

"M-Mom, Dad, Grape…" Peanut sputtered before he began crying. The reminder of the Sandwich clan followed suit.

Digredior coughed, and the group slowly broke apart. Peanut looked at Digredior with full focus, but his eyes were still empty.

"Hello Peanut." Digredior said to the weakened hound. " Remember me? I am S. Digredior. I am a licensed animal therapist and psychologist, and I'm here to help you deal with your, "accident."

Peanut looked out the window. He was now trying to avoid eye contact with anyone, let alone Digredior. Shame and guilt filled his heart.

"What does the 'S.' stand for?" He asked quietly.

"My first name."

Peanut made a faint smile. It was obviously fake, and with no true emotions holding it up, anyone could tell at that moment how broken Peanut truly was.

Digredior arrived at his apartment later in the evening. He was scheduled to meet with Peanut at the Sandwich house every day for one hour.

As he walked into the kitchen, Dreizhen sat there, watching him.

"Had fun?"

"Yes."

"So, what you find out?"

"Peanut tried to kill himself because the trauma caused by the perpetrator caused him to go into a mental breakdown."

"Are you going to try and fix it?"

"Of course. That's my 'job', remember?"

Digredior opened a manila folder labeled "SANDWICH, PEANUT BUTTER" and sat down to read the contents. Dreizhen got up and looked over Digredior's shoulder, whistling.

"Oh dear, did the perpetrator really cause that much trouble?"

Digredior tried to ignore his canine companion, but the dog only giggled.

"You do know it's hopeless, right?"

Digredior looked up to see Dreizehn standing in front of him, a twisted smile appeared on his face. He giggled again.

"Go away." Digredior said in a monotonous voice before he continued his reading.

Dreizen then ran behind Digredior and put his muzzle to his ear.

"I said it's _**hOpElEss**_." Dreizeh snarled into Digredior's ear, his voice suddenly began to sound disordented and twisted.

"_**You MiGHT aS WeLL GiVe uP. thAt dOg wIll dIE. i'LL MaKe SuRe oF iT!**_"

Dreizehn maneuver himself back in front of Digredior, who seemed to not notice his dog's odd behavior or vocal patterns.

He looked up at Dreizehn. "No, he'll live. Peanut will live to tell another tale. That is what I'm certain of." He said with a half-smile. This only made Dreizehn to laugh.

"_**wEll thEn, I gUEss YOU shOUld gEt stArtEd thEn. BeCauSe aPPaReNTLy i aLReaDy HaVe The HeaDSTaRT…**_" Dreizehn then skipped off, laughing.

Digredior closed the file and looked at the picture clipped to the front of it.

It was Peanut. Healthy, laughing, without a care in the world. Digredior placed his fingers on the picture and sighed.

"I'm ready to fight you, Dreizehn." He said quietly to himself. "But is Peanut ready?"


	6. Weather's Bringing It All Back Again

_At first, all i can see is darkness._

_I can't see where I am, or anything around me._

_Then I hear their voices._

"_**Serves you right. You totally deserved that."**__ Says Bino._

"_**Why'd you leave yourself vulnerable like that? You're totally pathetic for not defending yourself."**__ Says Tarot._

"_**You know, normal pets don't act this way. Do you understand that word, normal?"**__ Says Max._

"_**Get away from me, I HATE YOU!"**__ Says Fox._

_Every sentence that they speak forms into a blade and stabs me. I usually end up covered with my own blood. But despite my injuries, despite my pain, I don't succumb to it._

_Then, she appears. She appears right next to __**HIM**__, she talks to __**HIM**__ and laughs and laughs, and laughs. But as she turns away from __**HIM **__and looks at me, her cheerful demeanor changes to one of pity, if not cruelty._

"_**My god."**__ She says to me. __**"What a nuisance you turned out to be."**_

_Another blade stabs me in the back._

"_**After what you went through, you actually tried to have us bear your burden for you? You're weak."**_

_Another blade stabs me in the leg._

"_**You're even incapable of ending your own life. Are you really THAT stupid?**_

_Another blade stabs me in the shoulder._

"_**Get away from me. I hate you, and I've always have."**_

_I let out a gasp as a rather large blade stabs me in the chest. She simply giggles and turns her back towards me._

_**HE **__doesn't even let a second pass as HE approaches me and grabs the blade in my chest._

"_**I'm sOrrY, bUt YOu hAvE sOmEthIng thAt bElOngs tO mE…"**_

_HE rips out the blade, as well as my heart, which is impaled onto the blade. I cry out in pain, just as I did before._

_HE removes the heart and examines it. It is still beating and connected to me._

_HE looks at me with HIS eyes, just like before. Then, HIS mouth grows wide, exposing pointed teeth and a serpentine tongue. His eyes turn pure red, and he dangles the heart above his head and he tilts it back._

"_**THiS iS MiNe NoW!"**_

_He eats the heart in one gulp, and I look desperately at her, who is now facing me again, laughing._

_She is laughing._

_Laughing at me._

"_**Goodbye Peanut, I'll make sure the others forget about you…"**_

Digredior scribbled into a notepad before talking. It had been several months since Peanut's accident, and he was now getting counseling by Digredior three times a week. Dreizehn was nowhere to be seen.

"He got hit by a train that carried milk." Digredior explained. "Fortunately he's alive, but all of his limbs are broken. He'll be absent for most of the time."

Digredior was with Peanut in the living room of the Sandwich household. Digredior chose to sit in a lounge chair while Peanut simply sat on the couch. A box of "Tiss-You's" was between them.

"Does anything happen afterwards?"

Peanut's darkened eyes looked down at the carpet.

"N-No, I usually wake up afterwards."

Digredior added that note.

"I see. I don't have to guess who HE is, do I?"

Peanut said nothing, he continued his staring match with the floor.

"And the girl is Grape, I presume?"

Peanut's eyes welled with tears. Digredior let out a slight "tch", and muttered something under his breath.

"Need a tissue?"

Peanut looked up and grabbed a tissue, whipping his eyes and nose with it as Digredior looked at his watch.

"Why do you think that everybody hates you Peanut?" Digredior asked the sobbing dog. Peanut gasped for air and coughed. Digredior approached the dog and was about to pat him on the back when the dog decided to cling to him and continue to weep.

"Because… Because I could've prevented this. Mom said I shouldn't talk to strangers, b-but I didn't listen. I'm weak, I don't even deserve live."

Digredior looked down at the crying animal that clung so helplessly to his jacket and smiled. He wrapped around him and squeezed him gently in a hug.

"Peanut, you're not weak. You have a strong heart, you shouldn't think that this in entirely your fault."

Peanut lose his head in confusion and sniffed. "Huh?"

"There are things that people cannot control in their lives, but they do what they must to live from their mistakes. True, you should've listed to your "mother". But you also proved to be polite and respectful by choosing to help someone who asked for your help."

Peanut pushed himself away from Digredior and stood upright. A look of realization appeared on his face.

"Sure, rape a horrible scenario." Digredior spoke bluntly. "But now, you should come out of it stronger. Don't let it take your life away. Learn from it and become a better person than you were before."

As Digredior finished his speech. Grape and Mr. Sandwich walked in the room.

"Mr. Digredior, is everything alri-"

Grape froze as she looked at Peanut, who now looked like he finished carrying something heavy. He looked at Grape and smiled.

This time, it was real and warm.

"Hi Grape."

Grape's eyes instantly began tearing up as she embraced her friend, who after all this time, finally returned. She looked up into his eyes, they were bright again.

Digredior observed Peanut again.

_NEW DATA ENTRY: Victim has gained understanding of the problem before him. Analyzing data based on new entry:_

_Possibility of [SUCCESSFUL] suicide based on acquired data – 15%_

_Current victim mortality status based on acquired data – FINE. _

_Victim has [HOPEFULLY] recovered meaning in life._

_**Current**__ course of action: Despite this miraculous recovery, I will recommend two One-hour therapy sessions a week to monitor the victim's condition. Hopefully, this change will be permanent._

Digredior sat in a folding chair in his apartment as he heard a knock on his door.

"Open." He shouted.

He looked over to see Tarot and King enter the doorway.

"Ah, well if it isn't my client and her friend. I trust everything's going well?"

"It is." Tarot said. "Thanks to you, Peanut is almost back to his original self."

Digredior smirked. "No, not yet, but at least he's finally starting to let it go."

"Indeed." Tarot said, bowing. "I must go now, have a good day."

Tarot vanished instantly, leaving King behind.

"Wait Tarot, no… damn." He swore and he looked at Digredior, who was staring back at him.

"What are you looking at?" He snarled at the blond-haired man, who leaned back in his chair and put a hand to his chin.

"Which one of them changed you?"

"What?"

"Which one of those three fools changed you? Just tell me that."

"How did you-"

"Are you actually going to ask me that, or are you going to answer my question?"

"Uh… Pete, the blue griffin…"

"Ah, yes, Pete. He's a rule-breaker, like me."

"Huh?"

"Say, how's about I turn you back to a human? Hm, does that sound good for you?"

"Um… No thanks, I don't think it's good for me to turn to a human at the moment. What with that I was a convict and all that before Pete showed up…"

"I could remove your record…"

"AND I'm kinda in a… 'relationship' at the moment."

"I know, 'Fox' right? Hmu, you guys make a cute couple."

King was about to protest when he felt a presence behind him.

"Dreizehn." Digredior muttered.

Dreizehn stared at King for a few moments before speaking.

"Isn't he the queer one?"

Digredior nodded, and Dreizehn giggled as he sat down in another chair, leaving a now embarrassed King between the both of them.

"Oh, King. Feel free to enjoy yourself to the kitchen; we're just going to talk."

King walked into the kitchen and began making himself a sandwich.

"So." Dreizehn began, "How's Peanut?"

"Fine, but overall, he's STILL an utterly annoying creature."

King stopped spreading butter on a piece of bread, a look of surprise on his face. Did Digredior just…?

"But when he began crying about Grape, it took almost every fiber in my body not to laugh."

"Really? That's terrible!" Dreizehn let out a whooping laugh while Digredior smirked. A cup of tea formed in Dreizehn's paw and he began taking large gulps.

"Go on."

"And then, just to make things better." Digredior said, now beginning to giggle. "At the start of our session, be began whining about some stupid nightmare he had."

Dreizehn spat out a mouthful of whatever he was drinking and began giggling. "ARE YOU SERIOUS? WHAT WAS IT ABOUT?"

Dreizehn blinked and a tiny figure of Peanut appeared on the small coffee table between them, it looked around and stared at the both of them. King suddenly walked into the living room, without the sandwich.

Digredior looked toward King.

"Oh, you're still here, I almost forgot."

He snapped his fingers.

"Watch closely, or you'll miss the show."

King watched in horror as Peanut's nightmare unfolded on the coffee table, like a tiny horror show. He watched as Peanut was stabbed with those blades, and he watched as his heart was ripped out by a mysterious blacked haired man, who turned into a demon and ate it afterwards.

Throughout the horrific spectacle, both Digredior and Dreizehn were laughing, unable to contain themselves.

When it was over, the figures that stood on the table vanished as instantly as they appeared, except for the Peanut figure, which Dreizehn picked up and examined.

"Huh, I see he 'found a reason to live' right?" He handed the figure to Digredior, who glared at it.

"Yes, that means I've won, you have nothing left to use. I win this game, despite how tedious it was at my part."

"Hey, at least you weren't the bad guy, getting your plans shot down like that."

"If I was the 'bad guy'…" Digredior crushed the figure in his hand, which gave out a loud cry before turning into glittery dust. King felt sick to his stomach.

"He would've been dead long ago."

King suddenly stepped between them. "What are you saying, is this some sort of game to you?"

Digredior stared at him with a confident expression. "Yes." He said calmly. "It is a game between the both of us."

"YEAH, SO BUTT OUT!" Dreizehn shouted at the corgi before getting a stern look from Digredior.

King glared at the blonde sorcerer that sat before him. He was worse than Pete!

"What's wrong? I thought you 'hated' pets."

King clenched his fists.

"Yeah, I used to think animals card only about themselves. That they were mean and would betray you in a second." King closed his eyes. "But then, I met Fox, Sasha, and Peanut, and they changed me. I found out more about myself as King them than I ever did as Joel."

Digredior stayed silent as he listened to King, his eyebrows raised in interest.

"And now I see that you guys are even worse than Pete, playing with Peanut's life in some sort of twisted game."

"Yeah, so?" Digredior asked.

King's ears flattened as Digredior brought his face close to his, and cupped the corgi's muzzle with his hand.

"You know, you should be grateful that I'm at least on your side." He whispered, smiling warmly. "Because I'll gladly change sides at any minute."

King growled. "You damn…"

Digredior released King and giggled. "Anyway, the endgame is approaching soon, so goodbye."

And in an instant, King vanished.

Dreizehn smirked. "He's funny."

Digredior sighed. "Alright, since you have no more tricks, I conclude this game ov-"

"WAIT!" Dreizehn shouted, his paws in the air. "I have one more trick left!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I saved the best card for last."

"Will it be worth it?"

"Oh, you have no idea…"

Meanwhile, at the edge of Babylon Gardens, a man stepped out of a crimson red van. His black hair blew in the wind as he looked at the sign that said, "WELCOME TO BABLYON GARDENS!"

In his hand, he held a dog tag shaped like a white bone.

"I'm back, my friend." He muttered, as he got into his van and drove towards Babylon Gardens.

"I'm back, and this time, I'll be sure to silence you for good.


	7. I'm Going Outside To Take It All In

As the weeks went by, Peanut became more and more like his usual self. He began waking Grape up from her naps again, and was as playful as ever. Until one day, Grape found Digredior talking with Mr. and Mrs. Sandwich in the kitchen. Peanut was also in the room, smiling and wagging his tail happily.

"I have fixed the doggy." Digredior replied cheerfully, patting Peanut on the head. "He has successfully recovered from his trauma and is now able to move on with his life." He turned and smiled at Peanut. "It was great meeting you again, I hope we meet again." He lightly tapped his finger on Peanut's nose and nodded to the others as she made out the door.

"Until next time, _servus_."

As Digredior entered his apartment door, he realized that the door was already unlocked from the inside. He quickly formed a dagger in his hand and swung the door open.

He instantly noticed a black haired man, sitting in a chair in the middle of his living room. He twiddled a white, bone-shaped dog tag between his fingers.

"Hi."

Digredior looked from the man to the dog tag and scoffed, his arms crossed.

"So, this is your, 'trump card'?"

The man giggled and placed the tag between his teeth. "Yeah, I thought I would be best to end the game in a somewhat ironic fashion."

Digredior raised an eyebrow, his curiosity was piqued. "So… You're going to rape him… Again?"

Dreizehn giggled. "No silly. I'm going to kill him. I'll simply kill him. It's that easy."

Digredior gave an expression of mock anger. "If it's so easy then why didn't you do so in the first place?"

The man laughed loudly. "Because it wouldn't be fun that way."

Digredior chuckled, and looked up at the ceiling. "Ah, yes. You made him slash his wrists, right? That was a masterpiece. Very nice."

The man bowed slightly in his seat. "Why thank you." He replied happily, before leaning back and grinning, followed by Digredior, who sat in another chair.

"So how are you going to do it?" Digredior asked. "I mean, you can't just walk into Babylon Gardens. The police are still after 'you'."

The man pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Digredior. On it, it said that Babylon Gardens was celebrating its annual summer festival and that there would be all sorts of fun activities and music. "No worries, I just need a simple distraction, that's all."

Digredior smirked. "Well, I'll admit I'm impressed." The paper suddenly burned into nothing.

"Alright, I'm in. I'm through helping that pathetic mutt. How can I help?"

Grape clung onto Peanut's arm as they approached the tents that were plotted around the cul-de-sac that they lived in. As the sunlight faded, the din of the people increased as the festival roared to life.

Grape looked up to Peanut, who was happily enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the festival, then down to his arms. Even though it was barely noticeable, Grape could see the remnants of a scar where Peanut slashed his wrist. Grape held on to Peanut tighter, which the canine noticed.

"Grape?" Peanut looked at his purple friend, who suddenly stopped him.

"Peanut…" She spoke, her voice cracking slightly. "Could you promise me one thing?"

Peanut gave a confused smile and nodded it head. "Alright."

Grape lifted Peanut's wrist between the both of them and gave Peanut's scar a kiss as a single tear fell down her cheek. "Please don't leave me again."

Peanut gasped as Grape suddenly burrowed her head into his chest and began sobbing. "Promise!" She choked. "I can't bear the thought of losing you. Promise you'll never leave me."

Peanut smiled and he put his arms around Grape and rested his head on hers.

"Yeah, I promise."

As the festival roared on, Grape and Peanut spent the majority of their time playing the festival games and enjoying the festival food. As they approached the center of the festival, they were greeted by Fido, who was making sure that nothing dangerous happened while the festival went on.

"Aw man…" He sighed, his ears drooping. "I wish I could join in the festivities, but…" He looked around before quickly snatching a caramel apple off a nearby stand and consuming it vigorously.

As Grape and Peanut watched the horror that was Fido eating a caramel apple, Grape turned and gestured to Peanut that they should get back to the parents if they were to see the fireworks. They both agreed and were about to get going when a sudden bang caught Peanut's attention.

He turned to see a man shooting a BB rifle at one of the stands.

A man with black hair.

The man looked towards Peanut, smiled, and mouthed the word, "Hi."

Peanut froze, his legs felt as if they couldn't move. Grape looked at Peanut with a confused expression.

"You ok Peanut?"

Peanut said nothing, but immediately ran off in the opposite direction as the man.

"Peanut!" Grape called out, but Peanut kept running. As Grape wondered why Peanut freaked out she felt the presence of a figure walk past her.

She looked and saw a man with long black hair and dirty matted clothes walk past her in the direction that Peanut ran off.

And then she noticed that he was holding a white, bone-shaped dog tag in his right hand, a BB rifle in the other.

Grape's eyes widened as she realized that the very man who abused her friend just walked past her, and something inside her said that he was after Peanut.

She turned to Fido, who was now wiping caramel off his face.

"FIDO! HE'S HERE!"

"Who?"

"THE GUY!"

"Uh, Grape? I'm gonna need more tha-"

"THE GUY WHO…"

Fido's eyes widened in realization. Grape turned to where the man was walking, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"You guys need to find him. I think he's after Peanut again! He had a gun!"

Fido nodded. "I'll call back up. You should try and find Peanut."

At that instant, Grape darted as fast as she could, heading in the same direction as Peanut and the man.

Fido pulled his walkie-talkie and clicked it on.

"Yeah, I have a possible trace on the suspect regarding the sexual assault on Peanut B. Sandwich seven months ago. He is armed with a wea-"

Suddenly, a man with blonde hair and a white coat stood behind him, and placed his hands around Fido's head.

"_Oh no you don't. You fools aren't getting involved with my fun."_

Fido froze for a few seconds before speaking again.

"False alarm, please disregard that first report, over."

The man laughed.

"_Good boy. Now, didn't that apple make you sick? VOMITO!"_

And with that, Sdraiarsi Digredior vanished into thin air as Fido kneeled to the ground and began throwing up.

Peanut ran as fast as he could out of the festival. His legs began to hurt and his eyes blurred with tears, but he continued to run.

He didn't stop running until he reached the edge of the forest. He paused and leaned against a tree to catch his breath.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack and the tree he was leaning on exploded into splinters of wood. Peanut turned immediately to see the black haired man standing there with a rifle aimed at Peanut.

"Sorry, it was fun watching you squirm, but I think it's time for you to die."

Peanut's body quivered in fear as he stared down the muzzle of the rifle. The man walked closer towards Peanut.

"Get on your knees." He said quietly. "Just like last time."

Peanut, tears streaming down his cheeks, quietly got down on his knees.

"This was it." He thought as the muzzle of the rifle dug into Peanut's forehead. He knew that this man was going to kill him. Peanut would never see Grape, Fido, King, Max or any of his friends again.

He made a sigh and closed his eyes.

"Until next time." The man said, his finger on the trigger. "Serv-AUGH!"

Peanut's eyes snapped open to see Grape in front of him, claws extended, as the man was sprawled on the ground, covering his face.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM." Grape hissed.

The man got up and staggered for a few moments only to get tackled down by Kevin, followed by Ralph, Fido, and a few human police officers.

"Don't you dare move, pervert!" Ralph shouted.

King and Tarot watched as the black haired man was carried into a police car before joining Peanut and Grape as they talked with Fido.

"Yeah, turns out his name was 'Pezzo Tredici'. He had no real criminal record before your 'incident', but he'll be in the big house for a long time."

Peanut immediately hugged Grape. "Thank you." He said quietly, before looking towards the others.

"Thank you."

As the festival dispersed, King quietly sat on the curb, staring at the street. Tarot looked at his face with an expression of curiosity.

"You look upset." She said.

King gave her a slight glare before getting up. "Yeah, I was just thinking about 'Digradoo' or whatever he was called."

"Digredior. His name was 'Sdraiarsi Digredior'. "

"Yeah." King knocked over a can that lied on the street. "It's just… I saw how he and that other dog treated Peanut like he was a pathetic toy, and I felt so angry yet so helpless at the same time."

Tarot paused to process what King said. "What would you do if you weren't 'helpless'?"

King hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I would make sure that those two would never cause anymore suffering again."

Tarot looked at King with a slight hint of amusement. Perhaps it wasn't just his appearance that changed…

Tarot smiled. "Fine, let's go."

King gave Tarot a bewildered look. "Wha- Where are we going?"

Tarot grinned, which was strange even for her, and grabbed King by the arm.

"To grant your wish."

And with that, the duo vanished.

The next thing King saw was Kistune.

King looked around before growling in frustration.

"Fuck! I'm back here again, aren't I?" He shouted, looked from Kistune, to Spirit Dragon ,to Pete, and finally to…

Dreizehn.

King sputtered at the sight of the border collie who was about the same size as the other galactic nerds.

"HANG ON! What the hell is he doing here? I thought it was Digredior that was pulling the shots!"

Dreizehn laughed. "No, Sdraiarsi Digredior was nothing more than an avatar I used to both manipulate Peanut and deceive Kistune at the same time. "

King stared at the giant dog in surprise. "So he's like Tarot?" He asked, gesturing towards SD.

Dreizehn shook his head. "Nope, I just created him from scratch, along with Peanut's 'special' friend…"

King didn't even flinch.

"Not surprised."

"Nope, I knew you were involved directly with that guy since I met you."

Dreizehn nudged Pete and chuckled. "Sharp game piece you go there."

Pete however said nothing in response, which surprised even King.

"Pete is still upset about our last 'meeting'." SD explained. "So Dreizehn is taking his place for a while."

King looked at Kistune. "Is that even legal?"

Kistune nodded. "If Pete allows it, which he did, another player can substitute him for a while."

Dreizehn laughed, and suddenly shrunk to the same size as King. "So, what business do you really have here?" He sat on one of the other game pieces.

King gestured toward SD.

"Um…" SD began. "I was requesting that King would be able to challenge Dreizehn to a 'match'.

Kistune paused for a moment before nodding. "Approved."

King looked around the room in confusion. "HUH? What's a 'match'?"

Dreizehn suddenly jumped off the game piece he was resting on and landed on King, sending both of them straight to the ground. Dreizehn laid on top of King, face-to-face. Dreizehn grinned mischievously.

"_**Hey, dO yOu remEmber hOw mE and DigrEdIor wEre playIng that onE game with PEANUT'S life?**_"

Dreizehn's face suddenly began to twist up. His eyes became more narrow and bent and his mouth became bigger. King gulped.

"WeLL, NoW You… gEt… To… plAy… IT!"

Dreizehn got up and faced the other galactic nerds, his face returning to normal. King rose his body up, but did not stand.

"I HAVE A PROPOSITION! If King wins the match, then I will wander throughout existence and never return. But if I win the match, then I get to become game master and challenge Kistune to a match."

The 3 superior beings muttered to each other before Kistune nodded his head.

"Fine, I will restart the game so Peanut never meets the 'perpetrator'. Therefore, you both will have equal leverage."

As the game board began to glow, the last thing that King saw was Dreizehn laughing as everything suddenly faded to black.

"Today feels like a good day!"

Peanut smiled as he acquired another perfect score on another video game. He had spent the last few weeks preparing to beat Joey at "Ultra Negima Zetta Fighter 2", and the all the late nights of caffeine and playing until three in the morning finally paid off. The hound grinned and arose from the beanbag chair he was sitting on and stretched, ready to prove his gaming skills.

But before the master gamer could defeat the worthless n00bs who challenged him, he would need to stock up on energy drinks. Peanut sighed, he remember that ever since the Milton ferrets visited the cul-de-sac, energy drinks weren't allowed in the house. And since Grape wasn't around, he couldn't ask her for money. The hound paced and paced until he concluded that Joey probably had drinks already stashed at his house, so Peanut decided to leave a note before walking out the front door.

Peanut walked at a slightly hurried pace. Looking up, he noticed that the sky was turning grey. "Hm, it's gonna rain soon. I hope Joey doesn't cancel…" He was about two houses down from Joey's house when he noticed a relatively young male human with long, wavy, black hair unloading boxes from a dark-red van. The man looked over his shoulder and formed a warm smile. "Hey there.?" He said. "Would there be a chance you could give me a hand? I'll pay you."

Peanut hesitated. He thought over the fact that he could make a few bucks before clobbering Joey at his favorite game, but he knew Mom and Dad told him several times not to talk to strangers. "Sorry mister, but I'm really busy. Have a nice day!" The dog replied cheerfully, and left in such a hurry that he didn't even realize it was raining until he arrived at Joey's house.


End file.
